AKAROA MOTOR-CARS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19968, 7 June 1920, Page 8

AKAROA MOTOR-CARS.

CHRISTCHURCH DOCTOR’S CLAIM. Ihe sequel to n , collision between n. wT d , r,ven , hy Dr Jobn Guthrie, Lhnstchurch and one belonging to G. k fJ’- barton, on the AkaroaJnttio River road, on March 16 last, o-;hr’ ei ”r r 2* Court to nay, -Mr S. L. M’Garthy, S.AL prefor' U H p r r !' Twyncham appeared foi tho plaintiff, and .Hr R AVJohnston for the defendant. Tiie plaintiff (kl fionerai damages ail n 'koO spouial damages. tlnt r on 0 \r n /' U ir I }'' - Christc hurch, said at on A 1 r.i.-.i 16 he was motoring from ho Inn , 0 t Littio I;ivcl . ™ "i.o and child and a passenger. He ?on tl," ? a . !l ~lotl' r eoacli at the hillwhich u-ii rno ’ i >nt:t!n - "P his hand. 1 n ncss interpreted ns a signal aat other motors were following, dust lie.ore reaching the corner which was probably tho steepest grade on the road, a car shot round. When ho i caciied the comer. suddenly a littio more than g car-length ahead, another car came fast straight at him close into the bank on his side of the load. Witness was hugging the bank and going slowly. He put on the Ina.vc bur the other car struck Ids. hui off wheel oi the other car struck Hie inside ol the off front wheel of witnps,i s car, and the dent of the impact could still be clearly seen. Witness gave fnrthe; details of the damage camed to his car and added that at the moment of the impact neither he nor Ids passenger was thrown forward. On getting out. lie said to one of the passengers in the other ear. “ Nobody can say that this was my fault; yoii see where my car is." The other replied, ’’‘You’re not to blame; we have expected this at even - corner.” Other cars wishing to pass were blocked, as there was some difficulty in getting the road clear. .Viis car had to bo left in the ditch. To Mr Twynoham: He sounded his horn before approaching the corner. Kv-rybody should be extremely'careful before buying a second-hand motor-car that had bees in any accident. He bad to borrow a car from a relative whilst Ids cai was being repaired. If the mail motors had been racing the scene of the accident would have been tho ideal snot for the second car to pass. To Mr Johnston; He was not aware that about town he was considered a ‘ dashing” driver. Coming down the hill ho was on his third gear, well within ten miles an hour. He die not ,go'close to the first car that, passed. James Campbell Hay, who was a passenger in the doctor’s car, said that the pace down the hill wa s very moderate. They expected to meet the Christclmrch-Akaroa cars on the hill. He had driven cars for eleven or twelve years on the Peninsula. He corroborated the evidence of the previous witness, and estimated the speed of the first passing car at from 25 to JO miles an hour. Oakley’s car was unite on its wrong side. William Craw, farmer, said that he was driving a car from Little Akaloa on the day of the accident. Hr Guthrie's ear was under his observation most of the time, as he was behind it about five to ten chains. Going round the corners the doctor’s car went at from 5 to 20 miles an hour, and was being driven carefully. The. tracks of the car wore about 3ft from the bank. Henry Archer Peed, who was working near the scene of the accident, said that the motors from Christchurch appeared to be. racing. There was only a car’s length or so between them. (Proceeding.)